In this blog post, I'd like to share the end-of-year data for my Year 3-4 class.
All results have been filtered to include only the 'same students,' ensuring a direct 'apples-to-apples' comparison of progress.
1. Mathematics Term 1- 4 PAT data
2. Reading comprehension Term 1- 4 PAT data
Year 4 (same students only) achieved a gain of 9 units, (=1.3 years of progress)
In this post, I'd like to share two e-asTTle comparison reports based on the latest assessment conducted in September by my Year 3 and 4 students. I have nine Year 4 students in my class but only two of them didn't sit this test due to their overall learning difficulties (they focus on their IEP goals). There is no e-asttle data available for Year 3 students from other schools.
Using the concept of repeated measures, I've been tracking my students' progress in maths and sharing their results with both them and their whanau. We looked at their individual reports to set up new goals and to see how far they've come and how much they've grown. It was a great opportunity for my learners to talk about their successes and next steps during our end of Term 3 Tamariki Korero.
Report #1. How are my students doing compared to students in ALL other NZ schools?
Report #2. How are my students doing compared to students in SIMILAR schools (low decile)?
E-asTTle offers a range of individual and group reports that I've been using as formative and summative assessments to guide my students toward their learning success. Along with other assessments, I use e-asttle to keep a close eye on student progress and needs and to make teaching adjustments as needed.
Next year, I will administer the same test at the beginning of Term 1 and then each term to collect data for e-asTTle progress reports and to compare them with PAT results (out of my personal curiosity).
After publishing my post about PATs areas that we test on without teaching, I recalled and decided to share a story about my last year Y4 student who scored Stanine 9 in PAT but struggled with one particular question - "Visualise which shape a net will fold to make."
At that time, I was placing an order to buy more maths resources for our school including a set of 3D folding shapes, which we used with our Year 3-4 classes. I wanted to provide our students with a hands-on way to explore and visualize 3D shapes and their nets. Little did I know that this tool would have a significant impact on their learning, even a year after using it. Surely, you can fold 3D shapes using paper, but we had an opportunity to purchase this maths equipment and students loved it!
Out of curiosity, I looked at random Y4 and Y5 classes to find out their answers to this particular PAT question for the past 3 years.
2020 - Term 4
2021 - Term 4
2022 - Term 1
2022 - Term 4 - our Team excelled in the PAT "visualise a shape" question that had previously stumped many of Year 4 and 5 students.
2023 Term 1 (after the summer break, mostly the same students with some new intakes)
"Visualize which shape a net will fold to make." This question could be challenging for some students because of a specific skill we often do not cover in our maths programme.
As seen from the examples above, after using the folding shapes in our team, students were able to visualize the 3D shapes and their nets with ease. They were able to apply their knowledge to the PAT assessment and, in Term 4 2022 for the first time in three years, most of Team Kea's students answered the question correctly. Furthermore, the majority of learners retained their knowledge after a summer break (this is not clean data as we have a number of new students from other schools and teams).
This set of data highlights the importance of analyzing assessment data to identify areas where our students need explicit teaching or additional support.
Describe the tools/measures/approaches you plan to use to get a more detailed and accurate profile of students’ learning in relation to that challenge. Justify why you chose these approaches and tools.
Recently, I had the opportunity to analyze PAT assessments from our school and discovered some concerning learning gaps among our students. Many students struggled with questions that were not covered in our classroom maths programmes or were only briefly covered (based on my personal, team and other teachers' reflections)
If students have never been exposed to specific maths concepts or skills, expecting them to answer questions on those topics is not fair. In fact, testing students on material they have not been taught is not only unfair, but it is also not an accurate reflection of their true understanding of the maths curriculum.
The PAT exams are designed to assess a student's understanding of the broader maths curriculum, but this does not mean that students should be expected to answer questions on topics not taught in class.
I used the 'individual items' report for all our classes and identified similarities in topics that most students struggled with: Statistics, Geometry, Measurements, Fractions and Algebra. Some examples are below:
Year 5:
On the other hand, I also analysed which areas of Maths we delivered effectively. This is just a great illustration of "what we taught - our students learnt!" We just need to review our maths programme and include the areas that we neglected before.
Year 4:
Year 5
A hypothesis I developed was that our current maths programme was not adequately covering all the topics included in the PAT assessments. To create a rich picture with a high degree of reliability and specificity, I plan to create an e-asttle test including all the areas tested in PATs. Gloss data also will be used to support Number knowledge and strategies results.
Along with these 3 tests, I will collect student voice. I already interviewed a few students after their PATs and discovered that many of them experienced frustration due to their lack of knowledge on certain topics. Formative assessment is ongoing.
1. Design for Learning in mathematics involves creating a comprehensive plan or roadmap for teaching and learning mathematics. This design should consider the specific needs of the students and align with the NZC.
I believe that mapping an effective maths program should include clear learning objectives, a scope and sequence, lesson plans and resources, PLDs for teachers, and monitoring student progress using formative and summative assessments.
2. Assessment for learning (AfL) is a critical aspect of teaching mathematics in primary schools. It involves a process of ongoing evaluation and feedback to help students understand:
In the context of mathematics, AfL is particularly important because it allows teachers to identify areas where students are struggling and tailor their teaching to meet individual needs.
I discussed my 2023 inquiry focus with a number of leaders and teachers at my school and was impressed by their responses. I'm ready to embark on a new challenge and thrilled to be doing so with the GTS collaborative team.
Thinking of my 2023 inquiry focus. I observed my team’s new Y3 students and discovered that about 90% of this cohort is working below and well below their expected levels in mathematics. Their PATs confirmed the data I collected during formative assessments. I believe that this is a result of previous years of disrupted learning. The current Y3 students missed out on timely development of very crucial fundamental skills and knowledge as young students were very hard to reach and keep engaged during lockdowns and hybrid learning. When they returned to school, the main focus was on developing positive attitudes towards school and love of learning.
PAT Y3 2023 Term 1 data
During the profiling phase, I used student voice from different classes, formative and summative assessments, lesson observations and had professional conversations with teachers. I noticed that many teachers felt more comfortable teaching literacy than Mathematics. I wanted to effectively support teachers to build their confidence in maths. I was hoping to employ teacher collaboration to design and deliver an effective maths programme across our year 3-4 classes.
Interestingly, team teaching during hybrid learning at the beginning of the year helped with my inquiry as provided multiple opportunities for my team to collaborate. We improved our professional relationships by developing team trust, establishing shared values and goals and setting up high expectations within our team. Having open conversations about teaching maths helped me identify areas for improvement. We worked together to unpack the principles of effective pedagogy in Mathematics, develop solid subject knowledge and effectively use manipulatives, visuals and technology.
Last year, my inquiry was about the implementation of High leverage practices in mathematics and I managed to accelerate my students’ learning despite the lockdowns. I was excited to share my expertise and passion for teaching maths with my team. I’ve been helping my colleagues with understanding various assessments, analysing maths data and using it for planning, selecting the best resources to teach different concepts, observing, giving feedback, and modelling maths lessons. Collectively, we designed a new team planning format to make sure that students in our classes were getting the same high-quality consistent programme delivered every day. Eventually, my team developed a habit of ongoing collective reflections on our practice constantly refining our programme and problem-solving.
As a result of my team's commitment and productive collaboration, our students have been empowered through a structured, accessible and rewindable maths programme. We all noticed a great shift in student engagement and teacher confidence. Our students love maths and this resulted in their good progress which is evident from our assessment data.
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3. Writing Term 1- 4 OTJ (supported by e-asttle) 
